dunnyrail

Train Trax, Hattons and Rails of Sheffield all list Kato including Unitram bits. Last week ordered 3 sets of Tram Points, 2 from Train Trax cos that is all that they had in stock and another from Japan still to arrive. I have been attempting to set up a Layout similar to the one in this Vid. From ‘the one true scale’. In the meantime I have ordered another 2 Points from Hattons that arrived this morning with some spare as new Kato Insulated and Non Insulated Rail Joiners. Hattons were a much better peice, should have done some more research! Plus I have another Unitram Set on Back Order from Rails. This will allow a similar Layout to the one that matey above has done. But mine will be a sort of Figure of 8 rather than an L Figure of 8 as it will use a Narrower Board (well Kitchen table). The Spare Point will be used to create a Tram Shed/Workshop/Sidings for spare Stock. I will need to get some single Points and Track for this. It may be that I will use Tomix Track for the Depot as I have a few bits and it looks possible that I may be able to get shorter Crossovers and Points to be efficient with space, non Tram types of course. So far as I can see he has done 4 informative and sometimes amusing Vids on his line. What has also come out of one of those vids is that one of his Points does not reset completely after being Trailed. Guess what? I have one that is similar and pulled it apart to see if it could be fixed, reasoning that a small piece of carp of plastic sprue could be the cause. Neither was an issue and so it remains an small but irritating issue. For those of a nervous disposition I have part taken a Point apart for you and the following pictures give some clue of what those clever talented nimble fingered Japaneese have produced. Below can be seen the point at top then underneath showing the orientation of the Mechanism with the Point set to Normal “Straight run”. Here are two pics showing the Point set to Reverse. Finally a brutal close up showing the effect of not fully returning the Blade to Normal which can have the effect of derailing a Tram. I have used two of the points as bought and find that when reverced the Power is cut out when fed in from the Right Straight Line in the Picture. I have looked at the Instructions inside the Cardboard that came with the Points and there are alterations that can be made to the Power Configuration of the Points. I need to investigate this a little further.

Andy Rush had an old Planning Chest that was to be used for his Cassetts in his 20 foot River. Think that it may not be ideal for your Long Trains, but perhaps you can manage to keep most of the Big Trains in your Fiddle Roads and use Cassetts for the smaller Trains? This would mean less dodgy fiddling around with soking great long cassetts.JonD Assistant to the Ruschfuhrer of the former Ruschbahn.

I think you can see in the Allegra Vid that one part of the Unitram is not lit and it lists a little. I had the Roof off quite a simple gentle pull out of the chassis. Fiddled around with the Contacts in the removed body and on putting back together the Lights now work. Must have got dislodged somewhere along the line. The list is also much better. Not used to playing around with this small stuff, G Scale in the Garden is my thing usually. But it is nice to have some RTR indoors and the Unitram Layout with perhaps some extensions makes a nice change.

I checked mine out Today together with some other stuff including an old Bachman Market Street Car which after some TLC ran just fine as well, but that is not in the Vid. https://youtu.be/7chNshWVW7U As you can see the Duevag runs superbly

Very interesting, Automatic Operations show great promise as well. Must check out my Rapido Duevag Tram on the Unitram, think I have run them and they are fine but must retest to be sure.

Paul, really love what you have done, I accidentally bought a Kato Allegra at Rushden Show last year and put a UTube Vid of it running on my Unitram Track on GSC last year. Great fun. Probably the ideal Xmas Tree Layout if I did Xmas Trees. Not the best quality vid taken on the iPhone indoors but illustrates things quite well. I have been faffing for many years with N Gauge Modern mostly Trams, having part built a layout. But these days I have another plan in mind based on Aigle where 3 or 4 different lines Tramway/Light Railway Terminate in a Square in front of the SBB Station. Clearly RHB would be involved with a Tramway Station using Allegra and some Mixed workings.

Hm I wonder if they will be Servo Upgrading the earlier designs?JonD

By the sound of things you were on an organised trip. Best bet is to leave them to it and do your own thing. Not sure where you were staying but if in Wenigerode it is a pretty easy Bus Ride to Quedlinburg and you can do the Selkt easily from there including a little time in the Town before a bus ride back to Werni. Better luck if you go again.JonD

I have this concept in my head of a Block Bell and Block Instrument system on an iPad. Essentially the Instrument on screen would look like the real thing and the changes from Line Blocked, Line Clear and Train in Line would be carried out in the correct order with a Digital Knob that would essentially have 3 button locations. The Bell Tapper would be another that would look very like a real tapper. Options given by the iPad would be to have at least 4 or just 1 systems in the screen or multiple screens. This would then give Terminus to rest of the world single or double track. Or perhaps an intermediate Station with Block Sections either side. Link to another iPad by WiFi or just the iPad answering you with Train Out Of Section after a programmed break. Offering the next inbound train from the iPad with single Operation could perhaps be by a button that set up the process of offering a train of perhaps a background schedule/Timetable. Clearly this is all a little wooley at the moment, but a youngster who is doing the signalling for a Miniature Railway that I am involved with appears to see no difficulties with the basis of what I would like. Comments welcome. JonD

Many thanks, I think the Cobolt Pages have been updated since I last tried to understand them! Many thanks for taking the time to point me the right way.JonD

So can you tell me how they are wired up to the Cobolt Levers please? I have found the instructions from Cobolt to be of little help other than to use the passing switch. But what contacts are these? Colour Coded reply would be very helpful. ThanksJonD

That was roughly what I hoped the situation may be. However it probably means that if I will have to go for 2 Megapoint Boards as I will ultimately have 1 more thing to throw rather than the 12 Terminals. That still does not tell me how I get my Cobolt Switch to throw 2 or even one of them though?JonD

I have been using Frog Juicers (2) since starting my Coal Mine Layout, not sure of the make now. They came from Andy Rush's 20ft River Line and worked perfectly for him as well. Key thing to remember with them is that any long loco/train over more than one Frog, each Frog will need to be worked from separate juicer. Though with a big layout with 28 or more points this should be less of a problem. But it does take a bit of planning.JonD

Hm that makes Servos a no no for me. Or does it? Can I use the Cobolt Point Lever to Operate 2 different Servo's there is a DPDT Switch in them somewhere?JonD

I was in the borderline of ordering the Peco Servo setup for my Coal Mine Railway. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/99508-coal-mine-railway-a-small-00-gauge-project/ This has been stalled for a while as I have got fedup with Cobolt Point Motors and their Clicking games. What I do like about them is the 2 wires that can be plugged in and out with ease when removing them when they need replacing due to Clicking issues, not really a good point. So I am thinking I may go down the Megapoint Route for my Servo set up. I will be keeping my Cobolt Lever Frame which I just love. I have a 12 Lever frame with 8 levers for Points and the remaining 4 levers reserved for Dapol Signals, arghhh I know my Signals may need to be Servo'd as well. But at least I will be able use proper Scale Signal Supply kits for my needs and bin the Dapol ones. As ever a few questions:- 1 What do I do about Crossovers where I want 2 points to move at the same time from 1 Lever in the Cobolt Lever Frame? 2 How do I wire the Servos to the Megapoint kit i.e. just using the Cobolt Lever as a simple switch? 3 I guess that I will have to face adding an extra wire to each Servo? The good side with all servo operation is that I will be easier able to disguise the smaler Servos on too of my small layout. Thus far if you look at my thread I have managd to do this with the Cobolts so Servos will be a breeze. Do not like under board wiring! If the answer to my questions is elswhere in the Forum would much appreciate a link as sometimes much discussion has taken place as in this thread till answers appear. Any help much appreciated before I invest real cash again. JonD

Thread drift, the great problem with oldies like myself!JonD

Such a shame to have to do so much work to what I believed to be a Modern Quality Locomotive. But your efforts have certainly lifted the beast. Real Coal, Train Crew and Weathering next I guess. JonD

Not sure how you will be powering the frogs. On my small 00 line I have used Frog Juicers, with a little planning to resolve issues with locomotive bridging 2 frogs on the same juicer they work great. My linne has just 2 juicers.JonD

I never trust the Manufacturere press fit wiring, preferring to add my own jumpers to all points. I have done this to the Peco Code 75 on my Coal Mine Layout and do it to all my Peco G Track on my Garden Line. It may be belt and braces but does pay dividends in the long run. Plus saving time with irritating faults. A simple circuit tester also pays dividends, I made one many years ago with a few switches, Crock Clips, bulbs, wire, buzzer, small Electrical Box and a Battery. It proves connections and sorts out a multitude of issues with continuity. These days I would but a cheepo Multimeter from the likes of Maplin, Proops or a DIY Shed for around a Tenner or less. JonD

Paul, you have in a very small soace of time achieved a superb look and feel of the Harz with your SHB rendition. Having been visiting since 1981 I can say that this is second to none that I have seen. Such a shame that the 2-10-2's are giving issues. Hopefully they will be resolved to the satisfaction of all, a Harz line without out them would be severly lacking. Think that I will stick with my big stuff now. JonD

Very nice Paul, judging by the speed that you built the line I think your problems were quite minimal. But I can understand how they would annoy you. But still a very creditable first outing me thinks. Will be better next time I am sure. Trouble for me it makes me see just how much more Foliage and Trees I need on my G Scale rendition of the Harz. JonD

Paul,What a great job you are doing. Just wish I could get to your first outing, but since Barney arrived I am limited to Local Shows unless I get a Dog sitter. That is a little bit in place but not tested as yet. I think that the 2-10-2's are definately a step up in detail and looks compared to the LGB/Aster offerings as much as I love my two. I always have loved 12mm both in TT form and NG form. TT being my younger day modelling. JonD

I well remember Andy Rush telling me about your Layout and the pain he gave you with History and the realisation of how it needed to be Operated. I see that you are following his words with great initiative. The fidelity to prototype is superb and I am sure that Andy would have relished repeat visits in the last 3 years since his sad demise. My Steam days memories of Peterborough are from travelling from Wembley for visits to Nan and Grandad at Wakefield. This Station being much relished due to the Slow progress theough the site meaning that many Engine Numbers could be snatched. Happy days, I still use Peterborough on my ambles from St.Neots to sundry parts. But the current Station though perhaps more efficient for the Traffic on offer is a pretty soulless sort of a Station. Not somewhere to linger with an Hour to wait for the next Train. You are bringing back all those old memories with your super creation. Oh what price for a Tardis? JonD

I sometimes think that Models of the Harz Locomotives tend to look wrong with the Wheels. Problem is I think that there is the lack of Mudguard and perhaps we do not get such a Low View of the beast in real life. A bit of subtle Weathering will soon improve things. One of my 2 G Scale ones on my Gernrode Shed. JonD

It has been quite a while since I posted on this Topic. In truth 4 things have got in the way:- 1 Obsession with my Garden Railway 2 Problems with adding more required Cassettes 3 Clicking Cobolt Point Motors 4 Issue with trying to get Dapol Signals to work with my Cobolt Point Levers, Cobolt man says Simples just wire it up to the passing Contacts. Which are these and to what wires, as there are 4 on the Dapol Signals and Which Terminal do I wire them to??? So frustrating. So it has been easier to just ignore the Layout, in truth I have started 00 Layouts in the past and they all have been abandoned. I am not really sure that my heart is in 00 as I can easily get a Garden Railway to an acceptable standard to get Operating going including extensive Scenics both Outside and in the Sheds. Still there has been some progress, mostly on Rainy Days. Hence todays update on a Rainy Day. View from the Horbury Bridge end of the Layout looking over the Tunnel Entrance. Looking Towards to Tunnel Entrance. View of the Loco Road by the Tunnel Entrance. Looking towards the mine from the Main Line. Looking through the Tunnel Entrance at the Sidings. Looking towards the Bridge from the Yard, Right To Left, Mining Supply Siding, Line to Flat Top Pit, Main Line to Denaby Coal Mine Sidings. Centre of the layout. Track View from about the Signal Box. Looking over the Mine Supply Depot to the Mine. Hornby Austerity on Pit Pilot Duties. Looking through the Bridge to the Yard. Signalmans view of the Sidings. I have done a lot of work in hiding the Cobolt Motors in Scenery and Buildings. A US Kit of a Warehouse has been hacked into 2 Buildings to hide 3 of them at the Front. Another at the Front resides in a Butchered Hornby Low Relief Utility Warehouse Skaledale Ref R9755 whilst the final one at the front lives within a Dapol Midland Signal Box. It has been assumed that the line was a Midland GN Joint/Shared Build Line, hence the Midland Box. The other Motors 3 are hidden in Scenic Removable Sections on the other side of the Line. Hopefully when Sceniced with Bushes, Ivy etc the joins of these will be all but invisible. As can also be seen the Track has been Ballasted. This is from genuine Horbury Bridge Ballast Sized in my Bonsai Sifters to 4 different sizes. This gives Main Line, Pit and Rubbish Droped on the Line stuff to glue down. The final stuff is Dust which comes in for all sorts of uses around the Coal Mine. This was blagged from Hartly Pit Sidings just by Horbury and Ossett former Station Site, so it fits in nicely with the locality. I also used this stuff to Ballast my 0 Gauge Exhibition Light Railway Layouts. This was a finished project! A Hornby 3 Rail Water Crane can be seen sitting in the Main Line Sidings. That is about it till now,mif anyone can help with the Dapol Wiring please Post a Diagram with Switch Lever Contact Numbers and Colour Coding on my plea for Help Thread. Many thanks. That is about all for now. JonD